The Ruthless Caleb Wilde

“You most certainly do give a damn about sex! That’s the only reason you—you want me around.”

Someone laughed.

Caleb shot a furious glare around the room. Then he looked at Sage.

“I love you,” he said fiercely. “Do you hear me, dammit? I. Love. You!”

“You don’t. And you said you believed me when I told you the baby was yours but—but that was just another lie!”

Caleb grabbed her hand, wouldn’t let her tug it free.

“You heard me tell Addison we’ll want a paternity test after the baby’s born.”

Sage nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak. It wasn’t easy, letting him see only her anger and not her sorrow.

She’d loved Caleb with all her heart.

Even worse, she still loved him, liar that he was.

“Sage.” His hand tightened on hers. “The test is to get David’s father off our backs, once and for all.”

“No. He can’t still think—”

“It’s partly my fault. I’m supposed to be one hell of an attorney but I got so caught up in us that I forget to contact him. He reached Addison and told her he won’t accept the truth without proof.”

“Oh, Caleb—”

“I know. I made a huge mistake.”

Sage could feel the pain lifting from her heart, but Caleb had one last thing to explain.

“And—and I heard what you told her about the wedding. That you weren’t crazy, that no, you hadn’t married me …”

“Right.” Caleb looked at the ceiling, as if he might find help there, but all he saw was an old-fashioned, slowly revolving fan. “Addison thought we might have eloped. I have to admit, the thought occurred to me. I mean, there’s not a man alive wants to put on a monkey suit …” He shook his head. “But I’m not a complete fool. My sisters, probably Addison, too, would skin me alive if we denied them all that stuff. The music. The flowers. You in a long white gown, me all gussied up …”

Sage was staring at him. He couldn’t read anything in her eyes.

“Honey,” he said gruffly, “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes. The biggest one was not telling you how much I love you right away. See, I wanted the perfect time and place.”

“Like we have now,” Sage said, and—Thank you, God—she was smiling.

“Sage. Tell me you love me, too. Tell me that I wasn’t imagining what I saw in your eyes, tasted in your kisses.”

“I love you,” Sage said quietly.

“Or tell me there’s at least a chance you’ll come to—” Caleb blinked. “You love me?”

“Of course.” She smiled through her tears. “I’ll always love you, Sir Knight.”

Caleb got to his feet. Went to her side of the booth, dug in his pocket and dropped to his knees, right on that wet, messy floor.

“Sage,” he said.

She caught her breath. There was a little red box in his hand.

“Honey.” Caleb opened the box. The fire of a thousand suns flashed inside it. “Will you marry me? For the only reason that matters, sweetheart. For love.”

Sage laughed. She cried. She bent down to him, clasped his face, pressed her lips to his.